Directory of Research

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Directory Of Research
Relevance to Practice

All research and evidence on NICCO is reviewed using a Quality Assessment Tool (QAT) developed by the University of Huddersfield and Barnardo's.

Research and evidence is assessed in four key areas: Methodological Quality, Child-Centredness, Relevance to Policy and Strategy, and Relevance to Practice with offender's children. This ensures that items on the NICCO website are as useful as possible to academics, practitioners, commissioners and other professionals. For more information about the development of the QAT or to review research in order to list it on NICCO, please see the QAT webpage where you can download the Tool, Guidebook and a short step-by-step 'How To' document. Please contact us to submit quality assessed research on to NICCO.

Click on the icons to see a full list of items which have been awarded a standard icon or icon+ (for items which have scored particularly highly) in each key area:

Child-Centredness

Relevance to Policy

Methodological Quality

Relevance to Practice

1. EVERY FAMILY MATTERS: Offenders' Children and Families in Bolton

This POPS report is the result of a mapping exercise of offenders' families and support services available to them which was funded by Sure Start Children's Centres and Bolton Council in 2010. The report explores the issues and barriers these families face in accessing needs appropriate services. Research was undertaken in Sure Start Children's Centres with contributions from local schools, prison visitor centres and family forums. Findings reveal replicable models of good practice and areas where services were lacking which raised concerns around the level of interagency working with indications of poor communication and a lack of knowledge. These factors proved to be an obstacle for families accessing services. Recommendations are made around the need for an improved communication strategy at both grassroots and regional levels, the importance of training staff across the Criminal Justice System and agencies who have contact with children and Families, that timely and accurate information for staff and offender's families is key and that knowledge and experience should be cascaded through existing services. This report suggests ways that services will become more user led and in the mean time contains resources to assist providers in better supporting families e.g. a quick reference directory of recommended services and a basic guide to the Criminal Justice Service. Read about POP's Mapping exercise below:

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2. Evaluation of the Ormiston Families' Breaking Barriers Service in Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Essex

This evaluation explores the work and benefits of Ormiston's Breaking Barriers outreach service for children with a loved one who has recently been sentenced to prison. The service, which offers 8 visits from a practitioner to a child in school, is assessed in relation to the aims of the service using service data, first hand interviews with children and parents and anecdotal evidence from school partners. The evaluation ends with clear recommendations for running the service, (such as post-intervention follow ups, awareness raising about children of prisoners) as well as evaluating (using direct measures against the service aims for example). You can read the Breaking Barriers evaluation on the Ormiston website or download it below: